Two people wounded at New Orleans airport; gunman said people made fun of his turban By DOUG SIMPSON The Associated Press 5/22/02 11:17 PMKENNER, La. (AP) -- A man fired a shotgun inside the New Orleans airport and wounded two people Wednesday, telling investigators that he opened fire because people made fun of his turban. "That's his story. We don't know what really happened," Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee said. The shotgun blast wounded an airline customer in the stomach and an airline employee in the hand, the sheriff said. The gunman was tackled by bystanders in the ticket lobby of Louis Armstrong International Airport, away from the concourses where security screeners check for weapons. Lee identified the suspect as Patrick Gott, 43, of Pensacola, Fla. He said Gott was carrying a Quran and invoked the name of Allah. The sheriff said Gott told deputies he was in the terminal when people began making fun of the turban he was wearing. He told investigators that he left the terminal, took a duffel bag with a shotgun out of his car, went back inside and fired, Lee said. "Apparently he thought he heard some people make rude comments about his turban," said Bob Garner, spokesman for the sheriff's department. Gott told investigators he always has the duffel bag with him, Garner said. He said Gott was with his mother to drop off a passenger and may have taken the gun when he first left the car. Gott was held on two counts of attempted murder and illegally carrying a weapon. Garner said Gott may also face federal charges. Neighbors at the Florida address said they didn't know Gott and his mother's residence could not be determined. Witnesses of the shooting said the gun may have misfired or jammed. "I heard one very loud boom," said Mary Ann Rouanet, a US Airways ticketing agent. She said she ducked behind the counter and heard a series of clicks. Other employees scrambled through the baggage conveyor. Another witness, Jonathon Jenkins, told WWL television that the shooter was subdued by another man after the gun apparently jammed. "Everyone scattered. Everyone went down in the middle of the lobby," Jenkins said. The sheriff said the wounded customer was hospitalized in guarded condition. Leo/ORD Email me @ KLM_India@yahoo.com or LFutia@aol.com I check both!